Marlborough first XI hosted Winsley on a beautiful day at the Savernake Forest Ground. With the sun shining, Marlborough won the toss and elected to have a bat.

Conditions were tough early on, but Isaac Ashman (26) and Olly Bendall (20) got Marlborough off to a great start, the highlight being a straight 6 from Bendall into the trees off an early free hit.

The ball was moving a lot off the pitch and Bendall was eventually bowled after leaving one which nipped back onto his stumps. Ashman looked in great touch until top edging Winsley oversees and the opposition taking a good catch. A couple of quick wickets followed and when Will Taylor (13) was unlucky to be stumped off a leg side wide,

Marlborough were looking in trouble at 67-6. Some good hitting late on from Hawkes (69) and some solid batting from the tale took Marlborough up to 163, with Fraser Taylor (7) hitting his second ball in first team cricket for 6.

Marlborough felt very in the game and 163 seemed to be a defendable total on what was a tricky wicket to bat. Fraser Taylor bowled neatly at the top of the innings on debut, and Hawkes (2/50) picked up a couple of quick wickets at the other end to get Marlborough off to a great start, with substitute Crook taking a tidy catch in the deep.

Will Taylor picked up a 3rd wicket in the 8th over by tipping a hard-hit drive back on to the non-strikers stumps to remove the Winsley captain, followed quickly by a couple of Paul Smith wickets to move the visitors to 86/5 in 18 overs and put Marlborough in a great position.

Unfortunately, Marlborough struggled to keep the run rate down throughout the innings and a great 7th wicket partnership carried Winsley close to the finish line. A match winning innings by opener Breet (56) took control of the game until being dismissed by the impressive Smith (3/24), but at this point the game was Winsley’s to lose at 159-6 and they got over the line shortly after within 31 overs.

It was a spirited and gritty performance from Marlborough who came close to the win, if they can battle like that for the rest of the season, then there can be no doubts that some wins will be coming soon.